Sword of the Immortals
by Avenger of the Olympian Flame
Summary: 24 years after Percy's legendary decision, Olympus is destroyed. Luke Jackson must now find the Sword of the Immortals in one last, desperate attempt to bring peace and justice back into the world. If he fails...there will not be a world to save. R&R. :D
1. Prologue

**Sword of the Immortals**

**Prologue**

_September 26, 2021. America. 9:43pm._

The night was powerful. Winds swept throughout the neighborhood, its might buffeting the few trees rather sparingly planted on the edge of the pavement, their swaying looking like people quavering and begging for mercy. Thunder boomed and lightning crackled in the distance, adding a hardly subtle addition to the fray. A few desperate cars bravely drove their way through this storm, their passengers wishing they could be out of this nightmare and safely home with their loved ones. And all in the midst of this, a single figure stormed through this hellish manifestation of Nyx. A hero whom you all know too well. Thalia.

She walked through the street at a brisk pace, her black combat boots making absolutely not a single sound as she strode toward her destination, the rather cheery looking house at the corner of the road. Short black hair adorned the back of her head, for the most part spiky, and her eyebrows were furrowed in a frown. Thalia held her figure rigidly, like a taut bowstring, always on the alert. Her startlingly electric blue eyes darted around nervously, subconscious looking for places where a possible enemy could be hiding, or perhaps to take cover, never stopping. A silver circlet encircled her brow, shiny in the moonlight, representative of being the second in command of Artemis' hunters. Lucky there was no one here, and she did not want to deal with an inquisitive policeman or pedestrian. Fancy jewelry, indeed! The bundle of cloth under her arm she cradled against her chest, for to her, it was more important than most of the things she held dear, yes, even the gods.

Thalia finally stopped in front of the door and ignoring the doorbell gave a strong, businesslike knock, not wincing when her knuckles turned slightly red.

She waited impatiently, fidgeting, biting her nails, as she heard the sounds of the people inside. Finally, the door opened, revealing a young woman with long blonde hair and stormy gray eyes. Her hair was pretty much a rat's nest, minus the rats, and there were bags under her eyes from sleep deprivation.

"Thalia!" she cried loudly. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm not meant to be here," replied Thalia. "Listen! Annabeth, there isn't much time."

"I'm listening," replied the other woman.

"Okay." Thalia took the bundle of cloth out from under her arm, and pulled part of it away, revealing a baby girl, sleeping contentedly, sucking her thumb. She was almost bald, with a thing layer of black hair. Her features were strong and imposing with arched eyebrows, a prominent nose, and a small, hard mouth. Annabeth gasped, and the baby opened her eyes. Her irises, like the woman who carried her, were startlingly electric blue. Annabeth opened her mouth, and then closed it again.

"How…"

"Annabeth," the other woman said sternly even though she looked just sixteen, "I need you to raise this child as your own daughter."

"Whose child is this? Is she…yours?"

"No, of course not! I would not be a Hunter if it were so. This child is the offspring of a dear friend of mine, who is now gone and lost," she lied, biting her lip. "Take care of her, and do not tell her who she really is, alright? Please?"

"Thalia..."

"What?"

"You know me, right? I want to know the answers before I do anything."

"Please. For me."

"You'd better explain someday." replied Annabeth.

"I will."

"Good. By the way, what should I name her?"

Thalia closed her eyes for a second, searching around for a possible, good name to use, and found none.

"It doesn't matter."

"Then what should I tell Percy?"

"Whatever you want, okay?"

"Fine, then."

Annabeth turned to go. "Wait!" Thalia cried. Quickly she pulled out of her pocket a silver chain pendant shaped like a circle, with a lightning bolt through it.

"Give this to her. Tell her to never take it off." she said, a little abruptly.

"Why?"

"You'll see. How old is Luke?"

"He turned two recently."

Thalia committed that fact to memory. _Two years between them. A little fitting perhaps, considering the child for who she is._

Then she snapped out of her mental reverie. "I must go. Take good care of her for me, okay?"

Annabeth nodded. The two women exchanged hugs, and without waiting for a response to the rhetorical question, Thalia turned and sprinted away into the night.


	2. Disappearance!

**Hey all!**

**Thanks to Moonray9, Innocent Wave, PowerofWords12, SilverXofXLining and Pepperwhisker of SunClan for reviewing, as well as Jackson, Percyjacksonfan4ever, and Sunshineinoaklahoma, the anonymous reviewers.  
**

**Dedication: Well, I've seen some other authors do this, but here goes. This chapter is dedicated to my amazing better-than-me beta/editor, Storm-Brain, who completely revolutionized this chapter.**

**On with the story!**

* * *

**Chapter One- Disappearance****!**

"Luke!"

Luke Castellan Jackson looked up. He had been boredly glancing around at the paintings and whatnot on the walls, his iPod plugged in, silently singing along to a song, when his father's voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Luke, are you listening to me?" Percy Jackson, asked.

"Yeah." Luke lied.

Percy raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Well then, take those earplugs out."

"Okay." Luke complied, rolling his deep blue eyes.

"As I was saying, there have been an astonishing number of freak storms recently. The sea is seemingly at war with itself, and there have been unexplained eclipses of the sun and moon."

"Okay…" Thalia, Luke's sister said, flinging black tresses expertly over her shoulder. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Something is up." Annabeth, the children's mother said simply.

"Kronos?" asked Thalia almost immediately, her startlingly blue eyes wide open in consideration. Both her and Luke had heard the story of how their father and mother had defeated him, yet to hear of him rising again...it was shocking.

"Isn't his consciousness, like spread out so he would never rise again?" Luke asked, a little nervously.

"Yes, true. Oceanus? Perhaps he has broken out from his icy prison and could be causing the sea's movement, fighting against Poseidon, my father."

"Whatever it is, we should contact Chiron, see what he thinks." Annabeth suggested.

"Okay," Luke said, taking a sip of Coke. "But anyways, we are here, in a restaurant in New York. We are perfectly safe here for the moment. What could happen to us here?"

Ironically, that was the moment the wall behind the family was blasted into shreds.

**O_o**

A savage roar echoed around the restaurant. A huge, hulking shadow stormed ominously through the crowds of dust and roared again, deafening them all. Then it walked closer and suddenly Percy felt the beast's presence. It was rather intimidating, and he hadn't even seen it properly yet. It spoke of countless nights running wild, slaying indiscriminately. It spoke of a primal instinct, a need to kill, a need to hunt. At once, he knew it could not be reasoned with. It was a beast. No, correction. It was a remorseless hunter, with no conscience whatsoever, only a dark desire to kill. Then it stepped closer, and then they saw it for what it was. And they were afraid.

It was the Erymanthian Boar.

"Thalia! Luke! Run!" yelled their father. He pulled out his pen and uncapped it. At once, its three foot long celestial bronze blade burst from the hilt, a weapon with a long history: Riptide. Screaming diners ran from the restaurant. He didn't know what they saw, but it could not be good. It was a total mass of chaos, but somehow Annabeth managed to make her way to him.

"Take care of your sister!" she shouted at Luke's retreating figure, and then she turned to Percy. "I'm staying with you," she said resolutely. There was no way she would leave Percy alone, invincible or not. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Luke slip his hand into his sister's and sprint out.

Up close, it was scarier than they could have thought. It wore no armor, of course, but that made no difference, as the beast's hide was tougher than any protection. The boar's breath made Percy choke and was so nauseating it was hard to stay conscious. It had huge hooves, which would have crushed any of the nearby tables effortlessly. But the worst thing about it was its horns. They were huge and curved, protruding gracefully out of the sides of its mouth, sharper than any sword. They looked wickedly sharp and Percy knew from experience they could impale easily. Annabeth put on her cap, turning invisible as the beast advanced.

**O_o**

The boar moved slowly, sniffing the air. Percy knew it wouldn't be long before it started coming after him and his wife. Why this beast had chosen to attack here and now was a mystery, but it could be solved later. Then he saw the boar tense, and he slowly got into position, legs spread out and knees bent, sword held in both hands in front, chin up. He knew the beast was almost blind, relying more on its sense of its smell than its eyesight. Perhaps Annabeth being invisible might not be such a big advantage…

Then the boar pounced. It leapt straight at him, its entire body taut, its horns aimed at his throat. Percy dropped on one knee and stuck Riptide above him as the boar sailed overhead. He got up, spinning around, to face the beast. Sword hit tusk as the demigod and the beast fought. Percy spinning and slashing gracefully, like a ballerina, while the boar used its brute strength to its advantage, trying to impale him, in this ancient game of man versus beast, of life and death.

"How do I kill this thing!" he yelled in desperation, after nearly being decapitated for the umpteenth time, avoiding its tusk thrust by rolling under it and stabbing it in the back. It was simply impossible to kill it. Its hide was so thick, stronger than any armor the demigods used. Not even the magical works of Hephaestus could outmaneuver this creature, for it was the creation of Artemis herself, Goddess of the Hunt, created to terrorize and destroy.

"Heracles trapped it in thick snow!"

"Kill it! Not trap it!" Percy shouted, rolling under a tusk.

"Heracles…something about arrows…"

Annabeth opened her mouth to speak again, and saw the boar fling Percy against the wall, his head hitting the bricks. Then he slid down, unconscious.

"Percy!" she shouted, momentarily forgetting the fact she was invisible, and there was an angry monster behind her. She spun, but was too slow. A second later, she joined Percy, slumped on the floor, unconscious. The Erymanthian Boar moved closer, sniffing the air. Then, strangely, it turned and lumbered out of the restaurant, its feet leaving mini-craters in the floor. Then it began to run after the children, its speed surprising for its size. Someone was going to have a hard time clearing up the mess it left behind.

_The kids._

**O_o**

"Come on! Luke shouted, grabbing his Thalia's hand. Together they sprinted out of the restaurant, leaving sounds of battle behind.

"Where are we going?" yelled Thalia, her black tresses flying around her face.

"Just RUN!"

Hurriedly they kept on running. Suddenly, they heard the roar of the beast again.

"It's getting closer!" gasped Thalia, clutching at the stitch at her side. They turned a corner, and the alley that they were facing was one that had been defaced. Many times. Graffiti sprays covered most of the walls, saying things like "JOHN IS GAY" and "I LOVE MCR" on them. The ground was littered with drug needles, which made moving hard unless you wanted to get stabbed. But the worst part? It was a dead end, and there was a scantily clad young woman standing there, wearing high-heeled boots with her arms folded.

"Threesomes?" she asked expectantly.

"Um, no we're kinda occupied at the moment," replied Luke, blushing slightly, resisting the urge to shout sarcastically_ Yeah like I'd need a blowjob right now!_

When they spun to leave, they saw the Erymanthian Boar blocking their escape. Every hair on its hide was straight and spiked. But the worst part was its huge tusks. They were curved and stained with crimson blood.

"Our parents…" Thalia whispered.

The woman screamed, and tried to run for the exit. She never made it, as a boar tusk went straight through her chest, dying instantly. Then the boar lowered its head and charged, flicking the corpse aside. In a single second it crossed the space between them and tried to impale Luke. He dodged aside, moving swiftly to one side, at the same time pulling out his pen from his pocket. Thalia spun and sprinted toward the end of the alley, clapping her hands together, and an bow burst into life from her hands, while a quiver appeared on her back. Turning, she raised the bow and fired an arrow straight at the boar.

Unluckily, she hit it at the exact spot where the beast's hide was at its thickest, bouncing off harmlessly. However, it was enough of a distraction for Luke to jump forward and stab it between the eyes with his blade, Tsunami, which had been forged by his uncle Tyson.

It was like hitting concrete.

Luke was flung back and he landed on the ground, jarring his head. The Erymanthian Boar ignored him and charged at Thalia. She sent another arrow flying through the air at it, but it dodged aside nimbly for one of its size and bore down on her, tusks cruelly curved, eyes dark and evil, hair sticking out like bristles. It tried to impale her, and Thalia leapt to one side, dropping `r bow in the process, and pulling out the knife she kept strapped to her waist, held it out in front of her. Glancing over at Luke, she saw he was slowly getting up. Then the beast bore down on her, a huge trotter hitting her in the chest, flinging her across the alleyway. Barely conscious, she saw the Erymanthian Boar come at her. But instead of killing her as expected, it reached out and its tusk brushed against her forehead, parting her hair. Then Thalia began to glow an unnatural shade of gold.

"Thalia!" shouted Luke, sprinting toward her. The beast spun and crashed into him, sending him flying against the wall. Black spots danced at his vision, but he thought he saw Thalia's silver pendant of a lightning bolt, which she always wore around her neck, flash electric blue for a second, causing her invisibility cap to fall onto the floor. Then silver arrows flew through the air and hit the Erymanthian Boar, causing it to burst into golden dust and dissolve. Thalia glowed brighter, and a burst of light filled the alley, blinding him temporarily. When it was over, Thalia was gone, and a girl wearing punk clothing and Goth makeup slowly walked towards him, her bow in one hand.

But Luke noticed none of this. He was looking into her eyes.

They were electric blue.

Just like his sister's.

Then he blacked out.

_I have failed._

_

* * *

_**Semi-cliffy! Its a bit obvious who it is...but guesses are welcome. No prizes for it though!  
**

**How was that chapter? Did it live up to your expectations? Or do I deserve to be thrown into the pits of Tartarus?**

**Oh and if you're waiting for the next chapter, go to my profile, press control+p and search "A Little Concoction in an English Class." Read it!**

**The OCs I own are Luke and Thalia Jackson. I suppose I own the hooker as well...EWW.  
**

**Omg why are my author's notes so long?**

**~Avenger of the Olympian Flame (who now has a sunburn from camping)**

**PS. Reviews inspire me to write faster. Click it if you want to help me :D  
**


	3. Terrible News

**Hey guys! Chapter 2! Its a... ton longer- 3000+ words, 8 Microsoft Word pages, because of the super-long wait! I'm really sorry!  
**

**Thanks to Writer-Junky-101, PowerofWords12, who is the only person who reviewed both chapters so far, and SingerintheSilence.**

**Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to my real life friends Edmund, Eric and Ryan.**

**...**

**Ignore their reviews. Anyways...**

**I present Chapter 2 of Sword of the Immortals!**

* * *

**Chapter 2-Terrible News**

Luke opened his eyes to see the electric blue eyes that had haunted him.

"Good, you're awake," commented the girl, standing up. She had spiky hair the color of ebony, electric blue eyes like he had seen, and was wearing a black T-shirt with what looked like NEERG YAD scrawled over it, and ripped navy jeans. There were silver bands around her wrists, and a spiked dog collar around her neck. A silvery aura surrounded her, casting unnatural light in the night. But the most prominent feature was the way she carried herself. She seemed regal and graceful, but at the same time rigid and ready for action, on the edge of nervousness. The girl seemed to have been living rough, because there were plenty of wounds on her arms and face. Also, there were plenty of tear tracks on her face, which meant that she had been crying.

Luke blinked again and sat up, immediately wishing he hadn't. Searing pain came through his body, causing him to gasp.

"Careful!" warned the girl, her eyes sympathetic. She knelt and gave him a square of ambrosia, which he chewed gratefully, feeling warmth return to his limbs.

"I'm Thalia, by the way."

"What? Thalia, the Hunter hero of the Titan-Olympian War?"

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Duh! Who else could I be?"

"Okay. Where's Tha- my sister?" asked Luke, his forehead creasing into a frown. He looked around, and there was no sign of her, or the hooker he had met earlier. Golden dust, the only remnant of the Erymanthian Boar, was scattered across the ground.

"She's gone." said the girl, biting her lip.

"Dead?" Luke asked, biting his lip to stop the quiver in his voice.

"No. Captured. Metamorphosis."

Inwardly, Luke breathed a sigh of relief. He recalled a story about his dad when he was twelve; he was trying to get the Camp Half-Blood when his mom, Luke's grandmother, was captured the same way by Hades' Minotaur.

"Captured by who?" he asked, standing up.

"I have no idea," replied Thalia.

"Well, I'm Luke. Pleased to meetcha." he said, offering her his hand.

She shook it. Something momentarily flashed in her eyes, shock, surprise perhaps? "Thalia Grace. Now that we are formally introduced, anything you want to know?"

"Thalia…Grace. That's strange. My sister's middle name is Grace."

Thalia opened her mouth to say something, and then stopped herself. _Better be more careful next time. I long to tell him the truth, but it must wait. Worry about his sister first._

"Your mother named her after me."

"Never knew that. By the way, how old are you?"

Thalia's eyes narrowed. "You finally meet your parent's best friend ever since they were kids, and of all the questions you could possibly ask, you ask their age?"

"Only thing that popped into my mind when I'm facing a war heroine…and I'd still like my question answered." replied Luke, unfazed.

"Fine. Biologically, I am forty-five. Mentally, I am thirty-eight. Physically, I am one day before sixteen. If you count the transformation into a pine tree slowing down my aging, I am forty-two. Any more dumb questions?

Someone shouting his name saved Luke from further awkwardness. Seconds later, Luke's parents came around the corner.

"Hello, Annabeth, Percy." greeted Thalia.

"Thalia!" shouted Annabeth. They hugged each other, while Percy turned to Luke. After all, it wouldn't go down well if a Hunter hugged him, even if it was Thalia.

"Where's your sister?" he asked.

"She's…what's the word…metamorphosis."

"Okay. Did she burst into golden light?" replied Percy, his eyebrows creasing into a frown. He leaned up to massage his temples, lost in thought.

"Yep." replied his son; confident he would get his sister back no matter what.

Annabeth looked at Thalia, and then noticed the tear tracks on her face.

"What happened? And what about the other hunters? And Artemis?" asked Annabeth, shocked to see Thalia crying. Thalia, who had always been the cool-headed, impulsive and smart one, was crying. Crying! Annabeth could only think of one person who had made her cry, all those years ago, on Mount Tamalpais. But that person was dead. Luke Castellan. _Oh, how my heart aches for us to be together, as friends! I wa- _No. She was not going to think about what happened eons ago, on Mount Tamalpais, where he had captured her and held a sword to her neck.

"Chiron will explain all, okay? We just have to get to Camp Half-Blood as soon as possible." she replied, wiping her tears away with black-dyed fingernails.

"Okay, how do we get to camp?" Luke asked, folding his arms and trying not to show emotion.

Thalia sighed and rummaged around her pocket for a few seconds, eventually pulling out a golden drachma coin. "Gray Sisters Taxi."

**O_o**

A little while later, Luke staggered out of the taxi, sick. Quickly finding a bush, he threw up. He always had problems with traveling in cars, especially ones that were speeding tons. And to top it all off, the car was driven by three old hags who had one eye and one tooth between them. When he was done, he got up and sprinted back to join his parents and Thalia who slowly walked towards the lights of the Big House. When they crossed the border, Thalia paused for a second, putting a hand on the giant pine tree which had once housed her spirit. Annabeth put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and they continued walking.

Even before they reached the Big House, they could hear shouting. But it was from someone they never expected to shout.

Chiron.

"The world ends when Chiron shouts." thought Percy, remembering the time he had thought that, eons ago, when he was only a child. But honestly, Chiron shouting was hard to believe. He was known for his extraordinarily long patience, and had even stared back unfazed at his father, the Titan Lord Kronos. How could he be shouting now, when Kronos was locked in Tartarus? Perhaps it was a bigger threat? But there was nothing bigger than Kronos, right? "We'll find out all when we reach there." thought Percy.

"There is nothing we can do!" shouted Chiron. "We have to-oh, hello, Percy, Annabeth, Thalia, Luke." he said as they entered. Luke looked up and saw the campers gathered around the table. Ever since his father had asked the gods to give cabins to the minor gods, Camp Half-Blood had been packed up with new campers, and they now had over a hundred fifty demigods. Strangely, Dionysus was absent. Chiron didn't seem surprised by Luke's sister not being here.

"Chiron!" exclaimed Annabeth, stepping up to give him a hug.

"Glad to see you, child."

"I'm not a kid anymore."

Chiron smiled, a rare thing nowadays. Annabeth grinned back, a trace of seven-year-old mischief visible in her smile and her eyes.

"Why are we here? And why were you shouting?" asked Percy, stepping forward.

Chiron sighed, stretching.

"There is no hope. But anyways…"

Then he pulled a golden drachma coin out of his pocket and threw it, almost lazily, into the rainbow sink in one corner.

"Show us the threat," he announced.

There was a flash, and an image showed up in the rainbow.

The Empire State Building. Collapsing.

**O_o**

"How…" whispered Annabeth, her voice quivering slightly, still in shock of the memory. Mortals had been screaming around it, firefighters trying to put it out, impossibly, as the walls simply stopped supporting the floors and it had caved in on itself. _The Empire State Building…how could this have happened? Its impossible, unless…The Ophiotaurus! But how? It would have been under guard by twelve of the most powerful beings in the universe! A traitor? None would do this deed, or would they?_

It was just the three of them-Thalia, Percy and Annabeth, sitting on the sofa with Chiron in his wheelchair next to them.

"We don't know." responded Chiron, rubbing his brow. The meeting had adjourned shortly after their arrival, and since it was late, Luke had returned to the Poseidon cabin.

"Thalia…" began Percy.

"What?" she replied, not unkindly, her head in her hands.

"Why were you crying?"

"The…the Hunters. They have been killed." she whispered through her fingers. Annabeth reached over and put her hand on Thalia's shoulder, pulling her against her own frame gently. In the old days, it had always been Thalia comforting Annabeth, and now those roles were reversed. She felt Thalia's pain as she had known some of the other Hunters, Phoebe for example, who had been good friends and comrades, especially in the Titan War of Percy's sixteenth birthday.

"How did that happen?" she asked, as Percy tried stop the emotion showing on his face. "So much has happened today."he mused.

"Ju- Juanita. She was a traitor, and she had one of those mortal grenades. She threw it into our campfire late at night. Before anyone could react, she disappeared in a flash of golden light. I only survived because I was in my tent. Artemis was on her way to Olympus when I came for you."

Then silence reigned, with Chiron sitting in his wheelchair, scratching his brow, Percy, sitting on the sofa, his head in his hands, thinking, and Thalia leaning against Annabeth's shoulder, her body shaking slightly, trying to stop the tears.

Annabeth cradled Thalia closer. She had heard of this particular Hunter before. She had been an unclaimed camper from many, many years ago, when the gods had been in Spain, during the time of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, who joined the Hunters as she had pretty much no place to go. Even after the Percy's request, no god had claimed her. "Has Thalia told you yet?" Chiron asked, breaking the silence abruptly.

"About what?" Annabeth asked, confused and worried, first thinking about the Empire State Building, then the Hunter.

"Your adoptive daugh-"

"Chiron!" shouted Thalia hurriedly. _Shut up! Don't say a word before-_

"What?" asked Annabeth.

"Nothing!" said Thalia, biting her lip.

"You swore on the Styx! I order you to tell me now!" yelled Annabeth, standing up. "I've been raising her for the last twelve years on your word!

"Annabeth..." began Percy, holding her still, trying to restrain his wife.

"And now you refuse to tell me about why you came to my house in the dead of night for me to raise a child? And then you disappear until today?" shouted Annabeth, struggling against her husband's arms.

"Annabeth, please!" pleaded Thalia, backing away. "I will tell you! Just not here! Not now! Please!" _I have seen the deaths of eleven, no, _ten_ companions who were my sisters in all but blood for thirty years, and still she shouts at me?"_

Annabeth leaned back against Percy, raising her eyebrows. "We are closer than sisters, yet you won't tell me something like this. I know the truth now! She is yours!"

Thalia opened her mouth to respond, but found she couldn't. She settled for blasting the ground around there with lightning, searing off part of Annabeth's eyebrows in a magnificent display of her power as a daughter of Zeus. "I expect you to apologize for that. Till then, our relationship is null and void." Enunciating each syllable, she turned on her heel and stalked out of the Big House toward the Zeus cabin, her arms folded.

"I will leave you," said Chiron, rolling out of the room.

"Perhaps I shouldn't have shouted." sighed Annabeth, leaning against Percy's warm shoulder.

"Yes." whispered Percy into her hair, and putting his arms around her neck.

"Its just…she just does something like that and won't own up. It was obvious she was lying when she told me Thalia was the child of a friend of hers. Which friend would be close to her like that, apart from me and you and Grover?"

"I don't know," replied Percy, placing his hands on her cheeks and massaging them softly. "Its late, we should sleep."

"Yeah, that would be nice." murmured Annabeth, leaning against him as they left the Big House toward their respective cabins.

**O_o**

Thalia walked out of the Big House, her figure straight and taut, and her eyes angry. She knew it had been wrong to give her namesake to Percy and Annabeth, but she simply had to. HE had not promised her anything. HE had only spoken to Annabeth before... NO! she was not going to think about that. It was a tricky business, but that didn't mean she didn't need to try to find him. Also, there was the thought of Olympus being destroyed. She could have stopped Artemis! But deep down, she knew that whatever she did, Artemis was a goddess. There was no way she could have done anything at all.

Thalia blinked, took one last look at the Big House, and then entered the Zeus cabin, collapsing onto her bed almost immediately.

**O_o**

Luke looked at his parent's silhouettes as they left. He had come to speak to his parents when he had heard his mother shouting. He was still in shock about what was said. Thalia, adopted? Well, he had guessed. After all, his father's eyes were sea green, and his mother's were stormy gray. The only person whose eyes were blue in their human family was Sally Jackson, Luke's grandmother. Yet her eyes weren't electric blue, they were a clear blue. Luke had guessed that was how he inherited his eyes.

And Thalia, having a child? Luke doubted it. Weren't Hunters supposed to be virgins? It was possible, after all, Opis, Artemis' second ever lieutenant, had once been in love with Orion. His mother barely lost her temper, being the cool, calm daughter of Athena, always formulating a plan.

Sighing, Luke turned to go back to the Poseidon cabin. He decided against telling his parents he was eavesdropping. He was gonna keep quiet and perhaps pick up more information.

Walking back, he was greeted by his father standing at the door, arms folded.

"Where were you?" he asked suspiciously.

"Toilet." Luke lied through his teeth.

Percy did not seem convinced, but he let him through the doorway. The Poseidon cabin was just as Luke remembered, with a sea-blue theme. Apart from himself, he had two half-uncles living in the cabin. Since they looked asleep, he left them be.

Luke settled down on his bed, not bothering to change or brush his teeth, and yawning, soon dropped off to sleep.

**O_o**

_Luke Jackson was walking through a hallway. The walls were jet-black and intricately carved with lost, forgotten symbols- a circle with a dot in the middle, representing the sun, the top two sides of a triangle, representing masculine domination. They were carved in a strange order, each different feature interlocking with the next. If his mother had been here to see this, Luke mused, she would have been exhilarated._

_He continued walking through the hallway. A lone double door awaited him, tall, imposing and jet-black, matching the walls. Luke tried to control his body, to walk away. A gut feeling pulled at him. Something was wrong behind that door. He had to walk away, he had to run! He did not need to know wha-_

_Suddenly, impossibly, he was in front of the door. Luke tried to struggle and pull back, but it was impossible. With a sense of impending doom, he reached out and opened to door._

_Thalia Jackson was chained to a block of stone. Her jeans were torn and her hair was in a mess around her face, but her eyes showed the same steely determination that had always inspired fear in people when she turned her gaze on them. Her face was impassive, staring up at Luke as if she was looking straight at him. He fought the desire to flinch, but found he couldn't._

_"You can cooperate with us, or suffer more pain." said a voice. Luke's mouth moved as the words were spoken, and he suddenly realized it was himself talking. The voice was elegant and cultured, but it spoke of a dark cruelty behind it, and a relentless pursuit for knowledge._

_"What do you want!" replied Thalia, trying to be strong, but her voice quivering. Luke tried to shout for whoever was doing this to stop hurting her, but found he couldn't control his body._

_"You could be vital to us and our plans. All we want is your cooperation, and you can have the pleasure of a quick death, unlike the immortal fools we have recently overthrown. For they shall suffer for all eternity."_

_So that was what it was about! This was the person who had destroyed Olympus! Luke tried to move, to get a better view, but he was unable to._

_"Help you rule the world? Never!" screamed Thalia, straining at her bonds._

_"Suffer your fate." replied the voice, laughing._

_Nothing seemed to happen or move, but Thalia was suddenly thrown forward onto the block. She tried to get up, but was thrown forward again. She screamed, high and loud, and struggled again. Suddenly, the silver pendant around her neck glowed electric blue._

_"No!" shouted the voice, and resumed his attacks on her. Red spots danced at his vision, and Luke swayed, falling. Thalia glowed brighter, and suddenly the entire room was filled with electric blue light. When it was over, Thalia was gone, and as Luke spun to the ground he caught sight of shoulder length silvery-blonde hair and stormy gray eyes. Then he collapsed, and everything went black._

**O_o**

Luke awoke in bed, gasping. It had all been a dream, but it seemed so vivid, like it really had happened. Sitting up, he looked at the clock on the wall.

1:30, it said.

_Better get back to sleep, _he thought. Sighing, he lay down and closed his eyes, entering a dreamless slumber.

Only a few meters away, in the Zeus cabin, a silver pendant, identical to the one Luke's sister wore, glowed electric blue for a few seconds.

It hung on Thalia Grace's neck.

* * *

**O_o!**

**A bit tedious in the travel part, but I hope I made up for that with the little Percabeth scene and the new mystery. Fight scene next chapter, so stay posted! ( I can't survive without action :D)  
**

**Another mystery to add to the list. Thanks for reading, and if you want to say anything, anything at all, drop me a review. I get a kick out of flames, and I like praise, but constructive criticism (CC) is always the best. Besides, they inspire me to write.**

**Till next chapter!  
**

**~Avenger of the Olympian Flame**


	4. Dueling Legend

Guys. I really regret to say this, but I probably will never update this fic again. Then again, I haven't read PJO in 6 months, so...

I've moved on to another fandom. Sad but true. Max Ride, anyone?

Sorry for the long and unexplained hiatus. This is it. My career is over. This is, say, a parting gift. Bye all.

**Chapter 3-Dueling Legend**

Luke awoke early. It seemed extremely peaceful, everyone else in the cabin asleep, until he remembered the events of the past night. Then he remembered his dream about his sister.

"I wonder what was the deal with that blue light," he muttered to himself, not thinking about the fact his father was right across him.

"What?" asked his father, sitting up in his bed and stretching.

"Nothing, just a dream."

"Dreams. You know how dreams are for demigods. Tell me, what happened?"

"Later." Luke said hurriedly. He got up and splashed water on his face from the fountain in the corner, invigorating himself; them walked outside, having slept in his clothes. Mentally, he berated himself for talking to himself again. It was simply pointless, but a habit he had to break. Rubbing his eyes, he walked to his favorite place in the world, calming down.

Suddenly, he collapsed to his knees, banging them hard on the ground, and his mind was assaulted by an unknown force.

_You must save Olympus!_

_The silver chain pendant!_

_The figure in your dream!_

_Thalia is-_

"Luke!" screamed an already familiar voice in delight, and before he knew it he was enveloped in a heartcrushing bear hug.

"Can't…breathe!" he choked. Then the person let go of him.

"Didn't manage to talk to you yesterday night. Hope this makes up for it." said Demi di Angelo. Long ebony hair flowed down to her waist, complimenting her sea-green eyes. Stepping back, she gave him a cheerful smile.

"Its fine." replied Luke, patting her shoulder. The two had known each other for quite a long time, being the same age. Demi had never known her mother, but her father was famous, almost as famous as Luke's own father, Percy. Always in the shadow of their parents, they were, the small select group of demigods who were already known for their predecessors' exploits.

"Hi, Luke." laughed the other person in the arena, a tall, muscular boy. He stepped closer, his black locks of hair glowing in the sunlight, his brown eyes gleaming. Damien, one of Luke and Thalia's best friends. They knew each other ever since they had arrived at camp, as he had been appointed to help Luke and Thalia around the camp. He was a son of Ares, accounting for his features.

"Nice to see ya," replied Luke, punching the other boy playfully on the shoulder. A golden eagle suddenly flew from the sky and alighted on Damien's shoulder, folding its massive gleaming wings together. Aegelei. Last summer, Damien had gone on a hunting expedition, and tamed the mighty bird of prey.

Luke reached out and petted Aegelei, then turned to the granddaughter of Hades.

"By the way, whatcha you doing here? Practicing?"

"We were just dueling," grinned Demi. "Remember last time?"

Luke cast his mind back to last summer.

_Luke stood in the middle of the arena, holding his sword loosely in one hand. His opponent faced him from the other side, his friend for as long as he could remember, twirling his blade casually._

"_Bring it, Damien. I could beat ya any day."_

_And in response to that, Damien had leapt forward, aiming at Luke's neck. The latter stepped back and parried the blow with his own blade, sending it downward. Luke backpedalled, raising his sword to defend his side, and cleaved forward, one foot behind the other, Tsunami raised, pointing straight at his opponent's heart. All in all, the classic fencing position. _

_Damien sidestepped nimbly, his black hair glinting in the sunlight, his dark blue eyes sparkling. Twirling his blade, he ducked under Luke's guard, his sword flicking to Luke's neck._

_They held the pose for another second, before Damien stepped back._

"_I win. Like you could beat me any day."_

"_Wait for next time. I'm gonna train and you've gotta be scared when I come after you."_

_Damien grinned. "Till next time_._"_

Luke thought back to the time when Damien had beaten him. It had seemed so quick, their fight had been. He had lost in only a few moves, and had left, trudging back to the Poseidon cabin. Luke hadn't sparred with Damien again after that, not even once. Demi had tried to talk to him, but he shut her out.

"So, you want to try again?" asked Damien, jolting Luke out of his mental thoughts.

"Not now."

"Scared I might pwn you again?"

Luke opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a voice.

"Luke!" Thalia shouted, her rough voice carrying across from where she was.

The trio spun. "Luke, who is this?" asked Demi, a little unkindly.

"Thalia Grace." said Luke.

"Seriously?" asked Damien, his mouth open.

"Well, duh." replied Thalia brusquely. She strode over to join the three and sized them up.

"So, you're Nico's kid?"

"I have a name, you know. Its Demi." she replied, taking an immediate dislike to the Hunter. Demi straightened up, her twin swords in the air, and held Thalia's gaze, like two manga girls about to shoot lightning bolts out of their eyes at each other. Besides, Thalia could do that, at least. Shoot lightning bolts.

Finally, Demi gave up and looked away. When her gaze fell on Luke, he could see thoughts of revenge in her eyes. That was the thing with Demi. Since she was a granddaughter of Hades and all that, she had problems with holding grudges.

Damien broke the uncomfortable silence by speaking up.

"I'm Damien."

"Son of Ares?"

"Yepp." he murmured in reply, sizing her up.

Thalia noticed, and grinned darkly.

"Duel?"

"Yes!" shouted Damien recklessly. He would never turn a fight down.

Luke bit his lip. Thalia and Damien…he wouldn't want to place a bet. Damien was one of the best fighters at the camp, adept in both melee and ranged combat, but Thalia had about thirty years of experience, and she had her legendary shield Aegis and her trusty spear. Thalia was expected to win, Luke decided. But if Damien won…he could hardly think of the honor and respect it would bring, to defeat the mighty Thalia Grace. And, of course, the hate.

Sighing, Damien stepped forward, as Aegelei immediately flew off his shoulder and alighted on a tree, her watchful nut-brown eyes probing, waiting for the first sign for her to charge down and defend her master. Stretching, Damien unsheathed his black, twisted sword, a present from his father when he was claimed. The blade was longer than most, with a black wolf's head adorning the end of the hilt, and Greek symbols on the blade, saying _May Ares be triumphant forever._

Thalia, for her part, adopted the stance of a warrior, pulling out her mace canister and transforming it into her spear. Twirling it by her side, she tapped her silver bracelet, transforming it into her shield Aegis. Holding it in front of her, she advanced.

Both opponents circled each other, their eyes wary, darting from side to side. They kept their weapons up, he with both hands on his mighty broadsword, she with her shield upright and spear at the ready. Nobody would make the first move, as it left him or her open, without knowing how the enemy would react.

Finally Damien lunged forward, unable to bear the silence, his teeth bared in a soundless snarl. With both hands on his blade, he slashed at Thalia's weapon arm. Thalia countered by turning her shield at him, forcing him to retreat hurriedly. None could resist the power of Medusa, even if it was a copy.

Utilizing her advantage, Thalia took three steps forward and delivered a series of quick jabs, aiming at Damien's stomach. The son of Ares was forced to retreat even more, trying to fend her off, until his back was pressed against the wall of the arena, desperately trying to protect himself.

But it was hopeless. Even Damien could see it himself. He raised his sword for a slash, and Thalia dodged aside nimbly. Spinning around, she tossed her shield in the air, and moving with both hands on her spear for stronger effect, Thalia disarmed him skillfully with one quick blow.

The mighty black wolf sword clattered to the ground. But Thalia wasn't done yet. Catching her shield, she rammed it into Damien's face, giving him the full effect of Medusa's hideous face.

Damien cried out and collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath. Luke felt pity for him, daring to accept Thalia's challenge, but he felt another emotion from Demi.

Outrage.

Thalia looked upon her defeated opponent with pride.

It was then when Luke heard cheering. Spinning around, he saw that the stands were filled with spectators, clapping and looking on. The only reason he hadn't realized they were being watched was because he was too engrossed in the fight before him. It was then he realized how much grace the children of Zeus possessed. Well, it was Thalia's last name. Thalia Grace.

"No…" Damien managed. The shield had bruised his face.

"NO!" With that raw throated yell, he leapt up, grabbing his blade and holding his blade straight in front of him, still flying through the air at Thalia. Aegelei flew off her branch sped as fast as she could towards the daughter of Zeus, talons outstretched, teeth bared, ready to rend her apart.

Unfazed, Thalia twisted, driving her combat boot into Damien's solar plexus, forcing the son of Ares to fly back and crash into the wall of the arena. Turning, she raised one palm at the golden eagle. Suddenly, Aegelei was halted in midair, flapping her wings and trying to move forward, while an invisible force pushed her back. Finally, she collapsed, out of energy.

Thalia straightened, surveying the damage she had done. Then she turned, and without a sound strode elegantly out of the arena.

Luke stepped toward Damien, but Demi was faster. Sprinting, she reached Damien and helped the unconscious boy up.

"We're going to have to bring him to the healers." said Luke. He could tell by Demi's expression she was ready to rip Thalia apart.

"Bitch. That fucking bitch! How dare she try and do this to Damien?"

"Demi-"

"I DON'T CARE IF SHE'S A GREAT HERO! I DON'T CARE IF SHE'S A HUNTER! IF SHE DID THIS TO HIM SHE MUST BE HEARTLESS!"

"Demi! Stop!

Demi tried to continue, but Luke clamped a hand over her mouth, leaning toward her, his voice frantic and low.

"Right now we have an injured friend here. If we don't bring him to the healers the damage may be permanent."

Slowly the fire in Demi's eyes dimmed down, then she calmed down.

"Okay." she murmured, her eyes sad.

"Good. Now help me…" His voice trailed off as Demi reached out and helped him pick up their fallen friend. Looking around, Luke could see that the stands were cleared, with not a single spectator running to help them. Sighing, he strode towards the Big House, a dead weight between him and Demi.

Chiron leaned over Damien, examining him, as Luke and Demi waited uncomfortably, watching him. They were in the Big House's medical area; after they had rushed in with Damien, Chiron had pulled him onto his back and galloped into the room they were standing in right now.

"Will he be okay?" asked Demi, her voice quivering slightly.

"Yes. He should be alright," replied Chiron. "We need him at the moment, so I suppose the regular ambrosia and nectar may not suffice." Raising a hand, he placed it on Damien's forehead. A pulsating green light appeared in his palm, a nimbus of magic around his hand. Then it flowed slowly, elegantly, into Damien.

Chiron removed his hand and stepped back.

"This could get nasty." he warned a second too late.

Damien suddenly bolted upright in bed, his black locks sticking up straight in every direction.

"Damien? Are you alright?" asked Demi, moving slowly towards him.

"Demi! Don't!" warned Chiron, but it was too late. Damien leapt off the bed and tackled Demi to the ground, his eyes mad and furious, then flew straight up in the air, pushed by an invisible force, his body contorting and convulsing in pain, and then hit the ceiling, causing the room to shake violently. Then he collapsed onto the bed, tears leaking out of his eyes, unconscious.

Hurriedly, Luke stepped forward and helped Demi up from her fetus position on the floor. Chiron glanced at them briefly before turning to the fallen son of Ares

"Damien!" screamed Demi. She took two quick steps and leant over him, her eyes wide, grabbing his cheeks and shaking them violently. Drool dripped from the sides of his mouth, but Demi was too focused to care.

Swiftly, Chiron pulled her off, his eyes concentrated.

"OUT!" he bellowed.

Demi tried to protest, but he roughly pushed her out. Luke followed, intimidated. Glancing back, he saw Chiron, his brow furrowed, as if in deep thought. Then again, Chiron always was in deep thought.

Outside, Luke put an arm around Demi, her head bent down, hands covered with saliva. She seemed diminished, and rightly so. Damien had been her close friend for so long, when her father Nico was gone on one of his sudden, mysterious and long absences. Only Luke and Damien had understood her loneliness, with no mother and a father that was never here.

"Lets get you cleaned up." he murmured.

Her answer was indistinct; barely a few words, but he sensed her agreement. She was crying, tears rolling down her pale cheeks, her long black hair covering most of her face. If Luke had seen her elsewhere, he would have called her emo. But she was one of his closest friends, ever since he was twelve.

Calmly, he steered her into the bathroom and helped her clean up. It was a harder task than it seemed, with Demi reluctant to do anything, but he managed to get it done as quickly as possible. When she was done, they both stepped outside.

"Thank you." she murmured.

"You're welcome. Now lets get some breakfast." he replied.

Breakfast was a simple affair. Luke stepped into the pavilion and walked towards the food table, glancing at Demi. She stayed completely silent, picking at her food, her head bent down, barely eating anything. The campers stayed mostly quiet, in a somber mood. After all, Olympus had been destroyed, and all hope was pretty much gone.

Luke for his part picked up his food and absentmindedly scraped it all into the brazier. Realizing what he had done, he immediately left the pavilion, too lost in thought to eat.

Sitting in his cabin, his head in his hands, he lost himself in thought. So much had happened, and people were still eating breakfast!

_Firstly, my sister. Thalia, the person who was always by my side in everything, is gone, captured by some guy. Why? Secondly, Damien is now injured from that duel with Thalia the Hunter. Why did she injure him that badly? He's her half-nephew, for Olympus' sake! Perhaps something happened to her? But she's supposed to be almost invincible, being a hunter and one of the most renowned people ever! Now both Demi and Damien hate her. Third there's Demi. She's a wreck now, for some reason. Why is she so beat up after Damien lost? Is she in love with him? Who knows? And-_

"Luke!" a voice called.

Luke looked up. His mother, Annabeth was standing at the doorway, looking at him calmly.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Nothing much." Luke responded hurriedly.

"Well get up then. Chiron called a meeting of everyone."

Rubbing his eyes, Luke rose and stepped out of the cabin for the second time.


End file.
